Saturday, June 16, 2012

Kirby Decompensates

"I'm a steel robot - steel like this table!" Kirby slammed down his fist.

"What is your name?" Dr. Ghumra's voice was gentle.

"Octavius Otto - I told your people that already!"

The psychiatrist continued calmly: "And where were you born?"

"I'm from the sky," he said. "From Pluto - you know where that is. I was the first man on Earth. I built the whole world. I own all the mansions around Central Park. I have gardens and horses and bulls and pigs. I own Seattle Slew. I made robot horses out of Seattle Slew."

"Tell me a little bit about your family," said the doctor pleasantly.

"I have a thousand children. Everyone in the world has six children by me. I'm a hundred-and-one years old. The whole world is ten years old. My father's been trying to kill me since 1973. He's a Leo and I'm a Taurus. I have money in all the banks in Louisville. People give me money because I box. I'm Muhammad Ali. The FBI transmitted my name on TV, but they won't get any money from me - I'm a robot!"

Without warning, and with the agility of a cat, Kirby leaped onto the table and remained in a crouching position.

"I can flip off this table," he said. "And then my head will come off - I have a steel head. They put electricity in my head."

"I need you to get down off the table and sit in your chair, Kirby."

"I'm Muhammad Ali! I'm a steel robot! Those pills they gave me were full of magnets. I know everything. They're trying to shut me down. They want all my money. But I own the whole world. I'm powerful."

Kirby stood up, and stretched out his arms as if they were wings.

"My Heavenly Father will return and fly me back to Pluto. You can't stop him."

Several hospital staff entered the room and quickly took hold of him before he jumped off the table. As they carefully lowered him down, Kirby asked a young nurse standing by the door: "Are you my mother?" She shook her head. "Will you be my mother?" he asked. The nurse looked away.

Kirby grew more agitated and looked around at the crowd now in the room. "I'm leaving this place! I know Uncle Sam sent you here, but I own this place! You can't have my money, you gangsters!" He lunged towards one male nurse, but was securely held from behind by staff. He struggled with surprising intensity against them and fell forward onto the floor.

He then felt a sharp prick in his right buttock. He shrieked and contorted around violently but soon all the tension in his body melted away as the Haldol took affect. Before a heavy drowsiness overcame him, Kirby thought to himself: "They did it. They shut me down. But they can't kill me - I'm a robot!"

About the author

I am a husband and father living in Louisville, Kentucky. Inspiration for my writing includes: the beauty of nature, the human condition, moral philosophy, life and love, all things innocent and wholesome, and my own Catholic spirituality.
I plan on posting an original poem or vignette every few days.
Feel free to critique or comment on any of the works that I have posted, whether old or new.